InspirationWhodunnit

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Tuesday, 14 December 2010

Haddon Sundblom and the 'First Stroke'

Posted on 06:43 by Unknown
Along with his night school art lessons and his early days as a commercial art studio apprentice, the young Haddon Sundblom had some other extremely important influences that informed his painting technique.

Sundblom58

Among others, Howard Pyle, John Singer Sargent, Robert Henri, Anders Zorn and Joaquin Sorolla were all practitioners of a kind of painting adapted from the Impressionists called "alla prima" or "first stroke," The technique involved "laying down the fewest strokes in the quickest time to sufficiently describe moving targets," as Roger T. Reed explains in a fascinating, informative article on Sundblom at the Illustration House website.

Sundblom59

Sundblom acknowedged Zorn as his principle influence but in his June '56 article in American Artist, author Frederic Whitaker writes, "There never could have been such a Sundblom had there never been a Howard Pyle, for the Pyle concept is easily seen in the Chicago artist's work."

Sundblom55

Whitaker further credits Sorolla for "[unlocking] for Sunny the secret of the sun-lit glow that pervades all his work."

Sundblom54

Other painter/illustrators who Sundblom acknowledged as being an influence on his style include J.C. Leyendecker, Pruett Carter and Walter Biggs.

Sundblom53

* I encourage you to read the Sundblom "all prima" article by Roger T. Reed at The Illustration House website - its really explains the topic succinctly and includes a terrific gallery of early Sundblom paintings.

* Many thanks to Tom Watson, who generously provided all of today's scans!
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Posted in | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Leon Gregori: "... he would draw and draw and draw."
    There are some illustrators of the mid-century whose work I have come across time and again in my collection of old magazines about whom the...
  • Bruce Johnson, Canadian Illustrator
    Here's a wonderful early '60s illustration by Canadian illustrator Bruce Johnson. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of informatio...
  • Good-bye Mitchell Hooks (1923 - 2013)
    A couple of days ago on Facebook, Dan Zimmer of Illustration Magazine shared some sad news: last weekend, Mitchell Hooks passed away. How p...
  • Model Kit Box Art by "the Two Roys"
    By Guest Author, Roger O'Reilly For anyone growing up in Britain or Ireland in the 70's and 80's who had half an interest in bui...
  • Lowell Hess: "I had a reputation as an artist with talent."
    "As I grew up," writes Lowell Hess the introduction to his new book , "it was my only interest to make pictures." And p...
  • Michael Johnson: "I looked forward to being surprised, and always delighted, with what he produced."
    Guest author Bryn Havord introduces the early work of English illustrator Michael Johnson, covering the decade of his work, from the end of...
  • The Art of Summer Reading: Mercer Mayer
    Among all the beloved, memorable books of my childhood, I probably hold no other series in higher esteem than I do John D. Fitzgerald's ...
  • Howard Terpning, Magazine Illustrator
    Today most people think of Howard Terpning as one of America's premier western art painters. Terpning's prints and paintings can be...
  • The Art of Summer Reading: Robert McCloskey
    I wonder if anyone else remembers the terrific "Henry Reed" series of chapter books, illustrated by Robert McCloskey. I've me...
  • Haddon Sundblom: "[His paintings] have what people like!"
    In a June 1956 article on Haddon Sundblom in American Artist magazine, author Frederic Whitaker explains what makes Sundblom's work so ...

Blog Archive

  • ►  2013 (68)
    • ►  August (3)
    • ►  July (4)
    • ►  June (12)
    • ►  May (4)
    • ►  April (6)
    • ►  March (10)
    • ►  February (16)
    • ►  January (13)
  • ►  2012 (127)
    • ►  December (3)
    • ►  November (2)
    • ►  October (10)
    • ►  September (8)
    • ►  August (10)
    • ►  July (17)
    • ►  June (20)
    • ►  May (14)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  March (13)
    • ►  February (15)
    • ►  January (12)
  • ►  2011 (146)
    • ►  December (17)
    • ►  November (11)
    • ►  October (9)
    • ►  September (16)
    • ►  August (15)
    • ►  July (5)
    • ►  June (9)
    • ►  May (11)
    • ►  April (15)
    • ►  March (10)
    • ►  February (16)
    • ►  January (12)
  • ▼  2010 (159)
    • ▼  December (10)
      • The Sundblom School of Illustration: "... its be...
      • Haddon Sundblom and the Chicago Pin-Up Artists
      • Sundblom's Sarasota Circle
      • The Sundblom Circle
      • Stevens, Sundblom, Henry: "The best outfit from N...
      • Haddon Sundblom and the 'First Stroke'
      • Haddon Sundblom's Early Years
      • Sunny's Last Santa
      • Haddon Sundblom: "[His paintings] have what people...
      • Sunny's Santa
    • ►  November (18)
    • ►  October (11)
    • ►  September (9)
    • ►  August (23)
    • ►  July (15)
    • ►  June (12)
    • ►  May (15)
    • ►  April (17)
    • ►  March (21)
    • ►  February (8)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile